Kindness and social connections are not just for others' benefits. We all benefit from being kind and connecting with others. Take time this week to practice the exercises below and track how these acts make you feel. Email us at thescienceofhapiness@gmail.com and share how these practices benefitted you or how they made you feel.
3 RANDOM ACTS OF KINDNESS:
Research shows that happy people are motivated to do kind things for others. Over the next seven days, try to perform seven acts of kindness beyond what you normally do. You can do one extra act of kindness per day, or you can do a few acts of kindness in a single day. These do not have to be over-the-top or time-intensive acts, but they should be something that really helps or impacts another person. For example, help your colleague with something, give a few dollars or some time to a cause you believe in, say something kind to a stranger, write a thank you note, give blood, and so on. At the end of each day, list your random act of kindness. Just make sure you've finished seven total new acts of kindness by the end of the week.
SOCIAL CONNECTION:
Research shows that happy people spend more time with others and have a richer set of social connections than unhappy people. Studies even show that the simple act of talking to a stranger on the street can boost our mood more than we expect. This week, you will try to focus on making one new social connection per day. It can be a small 5-minute act like sparking a conversation with someone on public transportation, asking a coworker about his/her day, or even chatting to the barista at a coffee shop. At least once this week, take a whole hour to connect with someone you care about. The key is that you must take the time needed to genuinely connect with another person. At the end of the day, list the social connection you made and notice how you feel when you jot it down.
TRACK YOUR PROGRESS: Track your progress below. Each line represents a day of the week and you can label the date using the lines provided. Make a mark under the lines on days you completed the rewirement – shade in a circle, write a check mark, draw a smiley face, initial, or whatever you want. Get creative! Ultimately, you will know what types of visual cues are best for you. How well did you do using your positive emotions and signature strengths?
______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______ ______
Click here to access the Google Doc version of this worksheet.
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